What does lunchbox mean?
A lunchbox is a reusable container for carrying food to be eaten at lunchtime, typically at school, work, or while travelling. It may contain sandwiches, fruit, snacks, drinks, or other prepared foods. The term is informal but widely used, and in American English “lunchbox” is normally written as one word, while British English commonly uses both “lunchbox” and the two-word form “lunch box.” The word combines “lunch,” meaning a midday meal, with “box,” meaning a rigid container. Beyond its literal use, a lunchbox can also refer more generally to a box-style meal container, and the word sometimes evokes childhood, school routines, or a packed midday meal. It remains a useful, direct term for describing the container in which such a meal is transported.
nounA sturdy container used for carrying and keeping a packed midday meal, especially to school, work, or on a journey.
- A container for carrying a packed meal, usually eaten at midday.
"She packed a sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water in her lunchbox."
"The children carried their lunchboxes to the schoolyard."
"He opened his lunchbox and found a sandwich, a carrot, and a juice box."
The standard plural adds “-es” to the final consonant sound.
"The workers put their lunchboxes in a shared refrigerator."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of lunchbox
“Lunchbox” is a transparent English compound formed from “lunch” and “box.” The origin of “lunch” is historically uncertain, although the word was used in English by the Middle English period and developed through forms related to Old French and continental European usage. “Box” comes from Old English and refers to a rigid, typically rectangular container. The compound is related in its vocabulary to “luncheon,” “lunchtime,” and “lunchroom,” all of which share the older word for a midday meal.
Related word forms
How lunchbox is actually used
The word is informal but standard in everyday English. It is common in British and American English, with the spelling written as one word especially in American usage; British usage also includes the two-word form “lunch box.”